ld
never see you again, and so on, if you married me. Why? It's
nonsense. It isn't as if I were a sort of social outcast. We were the
best of friends till that man Hawk gave me away like that."

"I know. But he's very obstinate about some things. You see, he thinks
the whole thing has made him look ridiculous, and it will take him a
long time to forgive you for that."

I realized the truth of this. One can pardon any injury to oneself,
unless it hurts one's vanity. Moreover, even in a genuine case of
rescue, the rescued man must always feel a little aggrieved with his
rescuer when he thinks the matter over in cold blood. He must regard
him unconsciously as the super regards the actor manager, indebted to
him for the means of supporting existence, but grudging him the lime
light and the center of the stage and the applause. Besides, everyone
instinctively dislikes being under an obligation which he can never
wholly repay. And when a man discovers that he has experienced all
these mixed sensations for nothing, as the professor had done, his
wrath is likely to be no slight thing.

Taking everything into consideration, I could not but feel that it
would require more than a little persuasion to make the professor
bestow his blessing with that genial warmth which we like to see in
our fathers-in-law elect.

"You don't think," I said, "that time, the great healer, and so on--he
won't feel kindlier disposed toward me--say in a month's time?"

"Of course, he _might_," said Phyllis; but she spoke doubtfully.

"He strikes me, from what I have seen of him, as a man of moods. I
might do something one of these days which would completely alter his
views. We will hope for the best."

"About telling father--"

"Need we tell him?" I asked.

"Yes, we must. I couldn't bear to think that I was keeping it from
him. I don't think I've ever kept anything from him in my life.
Nothing bad, I mean."

"You count this among your darker crimes, then?"

"I was looking at it from father's point of view. He will be awfully
angry. I don't know how I shall begin telling him."

"Good heavens!" I cried, "you surely don't think I'm going to let you
do that! Keep safely out of the way while you tell him? Not much. I'm
coming back with you now, and we'll break the bad news together."

"No, not to-night. He may be tired and rather cross. We had better
wait till to-morrow. You might speak to him in the morning."

"Where shall I find him?"